Football helmet stool

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to the provision of a stool adapted for multi-use such as for seating persons under a wide range of uses. It is particularly made to provide a seat shell of a shape resembling a football helmet which is mounted on the top end of a vertical column structure to swivel thereon to accommodate the comfort and convenience of a person seated on the shell. It also provides a foot rest which is mounted on said column structure independently of, but coacting with, the seat shell. The foot rest carries the foot weight and body thrust of the person seated on the seat shell in a manner not to distort the shape of the seat shell. The invention provides novel coaction between the seat shell and the foot rest whereby the foot rest weight of the person seated on the shell is independent of the weight of such person on the shell whereby to avoid any distortion of the shell due to varying weight pressures on the foot rest. The seat shell is mounted for adjustment to different vertical positions on the column and the foot rest coacts with the seat shell in such different positions and swivels therewith.

United States Patent [191 Wright Oct. 22, 1974 1 FOOTBALL HELMET STOOL [76] Inventor: Thomas E. Wright, 1203 Chanticleer La., Hinsdale, ll].

[22] Filed: Mar. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 342,619

[52] U.S. Cl 297/437, 60/74, 297/181,

248/425 [51] Int. Cl. A470 7/50 [58] Field of Search 248/415, 416, 425;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,858,876 11/1958 Woodson, Jr 297/390 X 3,223,449 12/1965 Naylor 297/437 X 3,278,229 11/1966 Bates 297/437 X Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or FirmJohn F. McCanna [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to the provision of a stool adapted for multi-use such as for seating persons under a wide range of uses. It is particularly made to provide a seat shell of a shape resembling a football helmet which is mounted on the top end of a vertical column structure to swivel thereon to accommodate the comfort and convenience of a person seated on the shell. It also provides a foot rest which is mounted on said column structure independently of, but coacting with, the seat shell. The foot rest carries the foot weight and body thrust of the person seated on the seat shell in a manner not to distort the shape of the seat shell. The invention provides novel coaction between the seat shell and the foot rest whereby the foot rest weight of the person seated on the shell is independent of the weight of such person on the shell whereby to avoid any distortion of the shell due to varying weight pressures on the foot rest. The seat shell is mounted for adjustment to different vertical positions on the column and the foot rest coacts with the seat shell in such different positions and swivels therewith.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures FOOTBALL HELMET STOOL This invention provides a stool which is comfortable and practical for multi-use in a wide variety of conditions. The invention is characterized by the combination of a seat shell designed to simulate a football helmet and'a sturdy foot rest which swivels with the seat rest but is so mounted as to take the full foot weight pressures without support from the seat shell. This phase of my invention enables the manufacture of a practical and economical seat shell simulating a football helmet together with a foot rest simulating the visor protector at the face of a football helmet. The invention provides such coactive relationship between the seat shell and the foot rest that the foot rest carries the heaviest of body weights usually applied to foot rests particularly when the person gets on and off the stool. According to my invention these weights are free and apart from the seat shell so as not to impart pressures or stresses on the seat shell which could deform the seat shell and the shape thereof.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved stool of the character described above. This is particularly advantageous because a seat shell of such a stool has side walls spaced apart and any foot weight pressures on said side walls would tend to deform the shape of the seat shell.

Another object of my invention is to provide a football helmet stool adapted by simple adjustments to I serve a wide variety of uses such as may be termed adult uses and juvenile uses. For example, adult uses apply to the seat stool in its highest setting, for use in game rooms, dens, patios, offices, private and public bars and lounges, and for general application. And juvenile uses apply to the seat stool in lower settings more comfortable and adapted for juveniles. In both said settings the relationship between the seat stool and the foot rest is maintained.

Another object is to provide a football helmet stool with simple and practical adjustmentsto accommodate the range of uses referred to above and described below in detail.

Another object is to provide a stool of the character described wherein the seat portion of the shell may be removed for repair or replacement and also wherein the removal of the seat portion converts the stool to a cocktail table or the like.

Another object is to provide an improved stool construction for general use.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view, front and quarterly, of a football helmet stool embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a lower portion of the seat shell, the foot rest, and the vertical supporting column; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the section line 3 3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to a more detailed description of the drawings and the invention, it will be noted that a seat shell body designated generally by the reference numeral 6, is shaped to simulate a football helmet. This shell has a main circular body 7 closed at its top by a seat supporting portion 8 and having side portions 9 and 11. The bottom of the shell is open and the lower front provides a wide opening 12 resembling the face opening of a helmet. A foot rest unit designated generally by 13 extends through this opening 12 and is mounted on a vertical column structure formed by telescoping columns 14 and 15. The lower column is a sleeve fixed at its lower end to a base 16 which in turn is fixed to four equally spaced legs, 17. I g

The shell body 6 is formed to the football helmet shape by any suitable means and of a material having sufficient strength to withstand normal use in supporting a person seated thereon. In actual practice I'prefer to make this shell of what is known as fiber glass. The body of this shell is formed by laminating sheets of fiber glass layed up in a mold of the shell shape and a suitable resin is used as a bonding agent which acts on the laminating sheets to complete the body configuration of the seat shell body. The seat 18 is made of flexible and resilient material. In actual practice I use what is known as skin formed urethane foam molded to the desired seat configuration. A flat plywood sheet 19 provides a base for the seat and is detachably connected to a metal plate 21 by screws 22 as shown in FIG. 3. This metal plate 21 is seated against the under side of the flat top portion 8 of the shell body and is detachably connected thereto by wing bolts 23. The plate 21 is reinforced at its underside by a metal plate 24 to which is welded a shaft 25 which telescopes into the top open end of the hollow column part 15. A plastic bearingsleeve 26 is interposed between the shaft 25 and the column 15 to provide a bearing on which the seat shell isadapted to swivel on the fixed column part 15. A small split retainer ring 27 fits in a groove in the shaft 25 and yieldingly engages the lower end of the bearing sleeve 26 sufficiently to retain the seat shell in position but permitting withdrawal of the seat shell and its shaft 25 by upward pull on the seat shell sufficient to overcome the retainer ring 27. An abutment pin 28 extending diamet- I rically through the column parts 14 and 15 holds these parts in fixed relation one with respect to the other. This pin supports the seat shell in its highest. setting and also in the lower settings as will presently be described. This highest setting shown in FIG. 3 is for the adult position above-mentioned. The seat shell may be lowered to either of two juvenile height positions by withdrawing the pin 28 and sliding the support column 15 down into the fixed column part 14 until the pin holes 29in the column part 15 register with the pin holes 31 in the column part 14, or until the pin-holes 29 in the column part 15 register with the pin holes 32 in the column part 14. The pin 28 will then be inserted in either set of holes 3l31 or 3232. This positions the abutment pin at either of two lower positions and at the same time permits the seat shell and the foot rest to be lowered to either of said lower positions in which they will be held by inserting the pin 28 in either of said sets of holes 3l3l or 3232.

It will now be noted that the metal foot rest 13 is formed as a single unit by transversely extending metal rods 34 and 35 which are welded to a sleeve 36 which fits on the column part 14 to have movement both rotatably and lengthwise thereon. The rod 34 is bent forwardly at each end to provide side rod portions 37 which are joined by a front circular portion 38. The rod 35 which is at a lower level than the rod 34 is bent upwardly and forwardly to provide side rod portions 39 which also are joined by a front circular portion 41. The upper and lower rod portions 38 and 41 are joined by vertical rods 42 and 43. The rod members of the foot rest are securely welded together and to the sleeve 36. This sleeve rests on the abutment pin 28 as shown in FIG. 3 and is thus supported on the central column structure independently of the seat shell. It will be noted that the foot rest is not connected to the seat shell butits side rods 37 have engagement with the inner sides 9 and 11 of the shell as shown in FIG. 2. Because of this'engagement between the footrest and the seat shell the foot rest unit will swivel around the central column together with the seat shell when the latter is swiveled by action of the person sitting on the seat shell.

This construction is important because the foot weight or pressure imposed on the foot rest unit (which weight sometimes is considerable) is not transmitted to the seat shell bodyand particularly to the side walls thereof whereby not to distort the shape of the seat shell body.

It will also be observed that any weight or pressure on the foot rest unit from the person seated on the stool is carried entirely by the sleeve 36 which rests at its bottom end on the end portions of the pin 28 at all settings of the seat slide on the center column, and that this weight or pressure is carried through the sleeve 36 independently of the weight of such person carried by the seat shell directly by the center column.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to sizes and shapes of the parts and to the means for adjusting the height level of the seat shell body and the foot rest settings, but that the invention contemplates broadly the constructions and combinations defined in the appended claims, in which:

I claim:

1. A football helmet stool comprising a base, a vertical tubular column fixed to the base and open at its top end, a football helmet shaped shell having a seat portion at its top and an open bottom at the face of its lower fronta second tubular column open at its top end and slidable vertically in the first mentioned column through the open top thereof, means fixed to the underside of the seat portion of the shell and extending into the open top of the second mentioned column and serving to support the football helmet shell on said column with the shell adapted to swivel about the axis of said column, an abutment on the first mentioned column, a foot rest unit extending through said bottom open face in the shell and mounted on the first mentioned column to swivel thereon while resting on said abutment and having engagement with the shell whereby the shell and the foot rest swivel together.

2. A stool as set forth in claim 1, in which the seat supporting means includes a shaft telescoping into the open top of the second mentioned column part, and a bearing sleeve interposed between the shaft and the second mentioned column part.

3. A stool as set forth in claim 1, in which the shell is supported entirely on the column structure and the foot rest unit is supported entirely on said column structure independently of the shell whereby the foot weight carried on the foot rest is independent of the direct body weight of the person seated on the shell.

4. A stool of the character described comprising a hollow seat shell body, a foot rest unit. the seat shell body having a top portion adapted to support a seat and depending side portions shaped to define a lower front opening for reception of the foot rest unit, a base. a vertical column structure having telescoping parts, one such part being a hollow sleeve fixed to the base and a second partf telescoping at its lower end into thefirst mentioned column part, "means at the upper end of the second mentioned column part'fixed to the seat portion of the shell body for supporting the shell body on the column structure with the shell body adapted to swivel about the axis of the column strucure, an abutment pin extending diametrically through said column parts adjacent to the lower end of said depending side portions of the shell body, and a sleeve on the periphery of the first mentioned column part adapted for movement rotatably and lengthwise thereon and resting at its lower end on said abutment, the foot rest unit being fixedly mounted on said sleeve and supported thereby in a po- "sition extending through said lower front opening of the shell body, the foot rest unit adapted to swivel on the column structure and having engagement with each depending side portion of the shell body whereby swivel movement of shell body is imparted to the foot rest unit and whereby foot weight pressure on the foot rest unit is carried by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of a person seated on the shell body.

5. A stool as set forth in claim 4, in which the abutment pin is adapted to be repositioned at different height levels spaced lengthwise of the column structure for supporting the shell body and the foot rest unit at different levels.

6. A stool comprising a hollow shell body, a foot rest unit, the shell body having a top seat portion and depending side portions shaped to define a lower from opening for reception of the foot rest unit, a base, a vertical column structure having telescoping parts, one

such part being a hollow sleeve fixed to the base and a I second part telescoping at its lower end into the first mentioned column part, the seat shell body being mounted on the second mentioned column part with the shell body adapted to swivel about the axis of the column structure, a sleeve on the periphery of the first mentioned column part adapted for movement rotatably and lengthwisethereon, the foot rest unit being fixedly mounted on said sleeve and supported thereby in a position extending through said lower front opening in the shell body, the foot rest unit adapted to swivel on the column structure by rotary movement of its supporting sleeve on the colmun structure and having engagement with each side portion of the shell body whereby swivel movement of the shell body is imparted to the foot rest unit and whereby foot weight pressure of a person seated on the shell body is carried by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of said person carried by the column structure, and means for setting the second mentioned column part and the sleeve with its foot rest unit at any of different height levels on the first mentioned column part to adapt the stool to different levels for adult uses and juvenile uses.

7. A stool comprising a hollow shell body, a foot rest unit, the shell body having a top seat portion and depending side portions shaped to define a lower front opening for reception of the foot rest unit, a base, a vertical column structure having telescoping parts, one such part being a hollow sleeve fixed to the base and a second part telescoping at its lower end into the first mentioned column part, the seat shell body being mounted on the second mentioned column part with the shell body adapted to swivel about the axis of the column structure, and a sleeve on the periphery of the first mentioned column part adapted for movement rotatably and lengthwise thereon, the foot rest unit being fixedly mounted on said sleeve and supported therebyin a position extending through said lower front opening in the shell body, the foot rest unit adapted to swivel on the column structure by rotary movement of its supporting sleeve on the column structure and having engagement with each side portion of the shell body whereby swivel movement of the shell body is imparted to the foot rest unit and whereby foot weight pressure of a person seated on the shell body is carried by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of said person carried by the column structure.

8. A stool comprising a seat shell having a top portion forming the seat proper on which a person sits and side portions depending from peripheral portions of the top umn centrally within the seat shell, the seat shell mounted on the column to swivel by motion of the person seated on the shell, a base on which the column is mounted and which serves to support the column in vertical position, and a foot rest unit having an inner end mounted to swivel on the column, the foot rest unit extending through said opening and having a foot rest proper at its outer end beyond the seat shell and having side portions interposed between the depending side portions of the shell and having engagement therewith, whereby the foot weight pressure of the person seated on the shell is cattied by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of the person seated on the shell and whereby swivel movement of the shell is imparted to the foot rest unit by said engagement of the side portions of the foot rest unit with the depending side portions of the shell. 

1. A football helmet stool comprising a base, a vertical tubular column fixed to the base and open at its top end, a football helmet shaped shell having a seat portion at its top and an open bottom at the face of its lower front a second tubular column open at its top end and slidable vertically in the first mentioned column through the open top thereof, means fixed to the underside of the seat portion of the shell and extending into the open top of the second mentioned column and serving to support the football helmet shell on said column with the shell adapted to swivel about the axis of said column, an abutment on the first mentioned column, a foot rest unit extending through said bottom open face in the shell and mounted on the first mentioned column to swivel thereon while resting on said abutment and having engagement with the shell whereby the shell and the foot rest swivel together.
 2. A stool as set forth in claim 1, in which the seat supporting means includes a shaft telescoping into the open top of the second mentioned column part, and a bearing sleeve interposed between the shaft and the second mentioned column part.
 3. A stool as set forth in claim 1, in which the shell is supported entirely on the column structure and the foot rest unit is supported entirely on said column structure independently of the shell whereby the foot weight carried on the foot rest is independent of the direct body weight of the person seated on the shell.
 4. A stool of the character described comprising a hollow seat shell body, a foot rest unit, the seat shell body having a top portion adapted to support a seat and depending side portions shaped to define a lower front opening for reception of the foot rest unit, a base, a vertical column structure having tElescoping parts, one such part being a hollow sleeve fixed to the base and a second part telescoping at its lower end into the first mentioned column part, means at the upper end of the second mentioned column part fixed to the seat portion of the shell body for supporting the shell body on the column structure with the shell body adapted to swivel about the axis of the column strucure, an abutment pin extending diametrically through said column parts adjacent to the lower end of said depending side portions of the shell body, and a sleeve on the periphery of the first mentioned column part adapted for movement rotatably and lengthwise thereon and resting at its lower end on said abutment, the foot rest unit being fixedly mounted on said sleeve and supported thereby in a position extending through said lower front opening of the shell body, the foot rest unit adapted to swivel on the column structure and having engagement with each depending side portion of the shell body whereby swivel movement of shell body is imparted to the foot rest unit and whereby foot weight pressure on the foot rest unit is carried by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of a person seated on the shell body.
 5. A stool as set forth in claim 4, in which the abutment pin is adapted to be repositioned at different height levels spaced lengthwise of the column structure for supporting the shell body and the foot rest unit at different levels.
 6. A stool comprising a hollow shell body, a foot rest unit, the shell body having a top seat portion and depending side portions shaped to define a lower front opening for reception of the foot rest unit, a base, a vertical column structure having telescoping parts, one such part being a hollow sleeve fixed to the base and a second part telescoping at its lower end into the first mentioned column part, the seat shell body being mounted on the second mentioned column part with the shell body adapted to swivel about the axis of the column structure, a sleeve on the periphery of the first mentioned column part adapted for movement rotatably and lengthwise thereon, the foot rest unit being fixedly mounted on said sleeve and supported thereby in a position extending through said lower front opening in the shell body, the foot rest unit adapted to swivel on the column structure by rotary movement of its supporting sleeve on the colmun structure and having engagement with each side portion of the shell body whereby swivel movement of the shell body is imparted to the foot rest unit and whereby foot weight pressure of a person seated on the shell body is carried by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of said person carried by the column structure, and means for setting the second mentioned column part and the sleeve with its foot rest unit at any of different height levels on the first mentioned column part to adapt the stool to different levels for adult uses and juvenile uses.
 7. A stool comprising a hollow shell body, a foot rest unit, the shell body having a top seat portion and depending side portions shaped to define a lower front opening for reception of the foot rest unit, a base, a vertical column structure having telescoping parts, one such part being a hollow sleeve fixed to the base and a second part telescoping at its lower end into the first mentioned column part, the seat shell body being mounted on the second mentioned column part with the shell body adapted to swivel about the axis of the column structure, and a sleeve on the periphery of the first mentioned column part adapted for movement rotatably and lengthwise thereon, the foot rest unit being fixedly mounted on said sleeve and supported thereby in a position extending through said lower front opening in the shell body, the foot rest unit adapted to swivel on the column structure by rotary movement of its supporting sleeve on the column structure and having engagement with each side portion of the shell body whereby swivel movement of the shell body is imparted to the foot rest unit and whereby foot weight pressure of a person seated on the shell body is carried by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of said person carried by the column structure.
 8. A stool comprising a seat shell having a top portion forming the seat proper on which a person sits and side portions depending from peripheral portions of the top portion and adapted to give lateral support to the legs of the person sealed on the shell, the side portions defining an opening at the front of the stool, a vertical column centrally within the seat shell, the seat shell mounted on the column to swivel by motion of the person seated on the shell, a base on which the column is mounted and which serves to support the column in vertical position, and a foot rest unit having an inner end mounted to swivel on the column, the foot rest unit extending through said opening and having a foot rest proper at its outer end beyond the seat shell and having side portions interposed between the depending side portions of the shell and having engagement therewith, whereby the foot weight pressure of the person seated on the shell is cattied by the foot rest unit independently of the weight of the person seated on the shell and whereby swivel movement of the shell is imparted to the foot rest unit by said engagement of the side portions of the foot rest unit with the depending side portions of the shell. 